Coffee making machine

ABSTRACT

A cold water pour-in beverage brewer having a generally C-shaped body with the upper and lower leg portions extending forwardly from an upright interconnecting leg portion. The body houses an integral inverted L-shaped receptacle formed by an elongated shallow cold water basin from adjacent the bottom of one end of which a relatively deep hot water tank depends. The cold water basin sets in the top of the upper leg portion of the brewer body and has an out-turned flange on its top edge which rests for support on an in-turned flange on the edge of the top opening in the body. A cover fits over and completely covers the cold water basin and rests thereon. The cover has a pour-in opening adjacent the front of the brewer. A pair of top beaker warmers are supported in tandem on a heater unit mounted on the cover rearwardly of the pour-in opening. The hot water tank is housed mainly within the upright leg portion of the body. A removable brewer funnel is supported underneath upper leg portion so that beverage from the funnel falls into a beaker supported on a heater located on the lower leg portion. A removable baffle plate closes the opening between the cold water basin and the hot water tank so to provide ready access to the interior of the hot water tank for cleaning.

This invention relates generally to innovations and improvements inbeverage brewers of the cold water, pour-in type. These novel beveragebrewers are relatively narrow and have the pour-in opening in the topadjacent the front end with two top warmers behind the pour-in openingin addition to the usual bottom warmer which supports a beaker or carafeunder the brewer funnel. The brewer is capable of brewing a two-quartbatch of coffee or other beverage and two quarts of cold water can berapidly dumped into the pour-in opening.

Cold water pour-in beverage makers of known type in which a supply ofhot water is maintained until displaced by cold water, are in extensiveuse, primarily in homes and small offices. For example, cold water,pour-in beverage makers are disclosed in the following patents: MartinU.S. Pat. No, 3,220,334, Lorang U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,810, Martin U.S.Pat. No. 3,450,024, Reynolds U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,949, Martin U.S. Pat.No. 3,494,276, Bloomfield et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,767, Martin U.S.Pat. No. 3,691,932, Martin U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,155 and Petry U.S. Pat.No. 4,192,227. In restaurants and larger offices, the beverage brewersare generally of the automatic type in which batches of cold water areintroduced from a cold water supply line discharging into a cold waterbasin under the control of an electrically operated valve. Beveragebrewers of the automatic type are disclosed in the folowing patents:Bunn U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,434, Martin U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,933, MartinU.S. Pat. No. 3,793,934, Martin U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,233 and Bunn U.S.Pat. No. 25,663.

The cold water, pour-in type of beverage brewer offers several importantadvantages over the automatic type. Two of the most important being thatthey are portable and do not require a plumbing connection. On the otherhand, the pour-in type beverage brewers tend to have less capacity thatthe automatics and, in at least some models, a full batch of cold watercannot be rapidly dumped into the pour-in opening.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is a provision ofa cold water, pour-in type beverage brewer characterized by having, ifdesired, a capacity to maintain at least two quarts of water in heatedcondition ready for use in brewing with provision for two quarts of coldwater to be rapidly dumped through a pour-in opening.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cold water,pour-in beverage maker of up to two quarts capacity and characterized inbeing relatively narrow from side to side so as to take up a smallamount of counter space from left to right and in having a readilyaccessible pour-in opening adjacent the front end, a pair of beakerwarmers mounted on a top heater unit rearwardly of the pour-in opening.

The increased capacity (e.g. up to two quarts of cold water), rapid filland rapid beverage production features permit the cold water, pour-inbeverage brewers of my invention to be utilized in a number of placeswhere currently available cold water, pour-in type beverage or coffeebrewers are not considered to have adequate capacity.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cold water,pour-in beverage brewer characterized by having an elongated, shallowcold water basin from the bottom of the front end of which an integralrelatively deep hot water tank is supported at right angles. The shallowcold water basin is housed in the upper portion of the top leg of agenerally C-shaped brewer body while the hot water tank is housedprimarily in the vertical leg of the brewer body.

Still another important object of the invention is the provision of acold water, pour-in beverage brewer of the type having a generallyC-shaped brewer body which houses therewithin an integrally formed coldwater basin-hot water tank combination having an inverted L-shape with ashallow elongated cold water basin being removably supported from theupper edge of a top opening in the brewer body, with a removable coveron the body covering the top of the basin as well as the top opening inthe brewer body, and with a dry heater compartment mounted on the top ofthe cover and carrying two warmer plates in tandem behind a pour-inopening in the front end of the cover. The cover is readily removable soas to provide easy access to the interiors of the cold water basin andthe hot water tank for cleaning and other purposes.

Certain other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cold water, pourin coffee brewerforming one embodiment of the present invention and wherein three coffeebeakers of carafes are shown in broken outline along with a removablebrewer funnel. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of thebrewer shown in FIG. 1, certain parts being shown in elevation.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational detail view on enlarged scaleshowing the inside of one of the guide rails for the removable brewerfunnel.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail bottom plan view of the guide railconstruction shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailsectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 3. FIG. 8is a perspective view of the integral, inverted L-shaped, combinationelongated shallow cold water basin and relatively deep hot water tankhoused in the brewer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the integral cold water basin-hot watertank shown in FIG. 8 with the addition of a lid disc in place over thehot water tank and held down by three clamps.

FIG. 10 is a detail sectional view on line 10--10 of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 1, a cold water, pour-in coffee brewer is indicatedgenerally at 5 which has a generally C-shaped body 6 which includes anupper leg portion 7, a lower leg portion 8, and an interconnectingupright leg portion 9. The brewer body 6 is fabricated in known manner,desirably from stainless steel sheet, but it may be fabricated fromother metals or from known plastics having suitable strength anddurability. A brewer funnel of known type indicated at 10 is removablysupported in known manner by guide rails 11--11 underneath the upper legportion 7. A coffee breaker or carafe 12 is removably supported on theleg 8 underneath the funnel 10 on a heated warming plate or disc 13mounted on the lower leg portion 8.

A cold water, pour-in opening 14 is located on the top front (FIG. 2) ofthe upper leg portion 7. Rearwardly thereof, a top warmer unit 15 ismounted which includes a pair of warming plates 16 and 17 on which twoadditional beakers or carafes 18 may be mounted.

The C-shaped brewer body 6 houses an integral, inverted L-shaped,combination elongated cold water basin and relatively deep hot watertank indicated generally at 20 in FIGS. 8 and 9. The elongated coldwater basin 21 is desirably die-pressed in known manner from stainlesssteel sheet and the relatively deep hot water tank 22 is welded to abottom opening formed adjacent the deep end of the basin 21. The openingin the bottom of the basin 21 is formed in such a manner as to have acircumferential depression or recess 23 (FIGS. 2 and 8) with acircumferential collar 24 (FIG. 5) integrally formed on the bottom ofthe depression 23. The upper circumferential edge of the deep tank 22 iswelded (W FIG. 5) to the bottom edge of the collar 24 so as to make thebasin and tank 22 an integral inverted L-shaped receptacle or container.The tank 22 is preferably fabricated from stainless steel sheet in knownmanner.

The upper edge of the shallow cold water pan or basin 21 is providedwith a continuous out-turned, horizontal flange comprising side portions25 and 26 and end portions 28 and 30.

It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the bottom 31 of the basin 21 slopestoward the bottom recess 23 so that cold water poured into the basin 21will flow and drain into the tank 22.

The manner in which the unit 20 is mounted and supported within thehousing or body 6 of the brewer is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Referring toFIG. 2, it will be noted that the upper leg portion 7 of the body 6 hasan in-turned horizontal flange 32 formed around the upper edge thereof.The out-turned flange on the upper edge of the basin 21 is dimensionedso as to fit over and rest flatwise upon the in-turned flange 32.

The height of the deep tank 22 is so dimensioned that the bottom 33thereof is spaced at least slightly above the top wall 34 of the lowerleg portion 8 so that the lateral flange on the basin 21 will rest onthe in-turned flange 32.

In a brewer 5 capable of making two-quart batches of coffee, the tank 22can have, by way of illustrative example, an inside diameter of 5 inchesand a depth of 14 inches giving it a capacity of 275 cubic inches (i.e.4.76 fluid quarts). The capacity of the shallow basin 24 suitable for ahot water tank 22 of such capacity is 155 cubic inches (i.e. 2.68 fluidquarts) with the interior of the basin having a length of 15-1/4 inches,a width of 6-1/4 inches and a depth ranging from 1-3/4 to 1-1/2 inches.

The circular opening communicating between the bottom 31 of the basin 21and the top of the tank 22 is closed by a disc or baffle 36 which restson a ring gasket 35 (FIG. 5) seated in the recess 23. A central opening37 is provided in the disc 36 which communicates with the upper end of avertical cold water tube 38 (FIG. 2), the upper end of which is weldedor otherwise suitably joined to the underside of the disc 35. The bottomend of the cold water tube 38 terminates adjacent the bottom 33 of thetank 22 so that as cold water flows downwardly through the tube 38, itis discharged in the lower portion of the tank 22 and thereby displacesupwardly the hot water contents in the tank 22. This manner of operationis well-known in connection with brewers of the cold water, pour-intype.

An inverted siphon cup 40 is positioned adjacent the top of the tank 22and the side thereof facing the removable brewer funnel 10. The cup 40is carried by the inner end of a nipple 41 which projects in fluid-tightrelationship through a suitable opening in the wall of the tank 22. Theouter end of the nipple 41 connects with a downwardly slanted tube 42having a down-turned outer or distal end 43 on the lower end of which ahot water spray head 44 is fastened in known manner. The end 43 passesthrough the spray head panel 27 and secured thereto by a two-partfastener 39 of known type.

Water within the tank 22 is heated in known manner by a heating element45 that may take the form of a Kelrod element or other knownelectrically energized heating element.

The top of the basin 21 is covered and enclosed by a cover member 46which forms the top of the upper portion 7 of the C-shaped body 6. Thiscover 46 is formed with a downwardly extending flange 47 so as to fitover the upper edge of the vertical side walls forming the upper legportion 7. The inter-fitting relationship between the in-turned flange32 on the vertical sidewalls of the upper leg portion 7, the out-turnedflange on the cold water basin 21 (25, 26, 28 and 30) and the outermargin 48 and down-turned flange 47 on the cover 46 is well-shown inFIG. 5. This inter-fitting relationship of flange members forms acompact sandwich and peripheral top seal which may be readily securedtogether by a plurality of screws, one of which is indicated at 50 inFIG. 5. Usually four such screws will be adequate and notches 51--51 arepreferably provided therefor in the flanges 25 and 26 as shown in FIG.8.

The cold water, pour-in opening 14 is formed in the cover 46 adjacentthe front of the brewer 5 and preferably is provided with a screen 52(FIG. 2) so as to prevent foreign objects from entering the enclosedbasin 21. A cover of known type (not shown) may be provided for thescreened opening 14.

The cover 46 completely encloses the cold water basin 21 and serves as afloor support for the upper and top heater unit 15.

The vertical sidewalls 55--55, and front and rear end walls 56 and 57,of the heater unit 15, are preferably provided with in-turned flangessuch as flange 58 on the front end wall 56 whereby these in-turnedflanges support the heater unit on the top of the cover 46. The warmerunits 16 and 17 are mounted in a top wall of the heater unit 15 in knownmanner.

Preferably, the rear wall 57 of the heater unit 15 is made so as to be aremovable panel, and likewise, the rear wall 60 of the vertical legportion 9 is preferably made as a removable panel, whereby convenientaccess may readily be had to the interiors of the heater unit 15 and ofthe body 6 for such servicing as may be required.

It will be understood that suitable electrical wiring and controls,including a thermostatic control 49 for the heater element 45, will beprovided in known manner, the same not forming any part of the presentinvention. The electrical conductors leading to the top warmers 16 and17 are arranged to pass through an opening in the cover 46 whichregisters with an aperture 61 (FIG. 8) in the flange 30 on a basin 21.These registering openings are preferably provided with a resilientgrommet 62 (FIG. 2) and the conductors for the heater 16 and 17 can passthrough this grommet.

Suitable electrical switches for controlling the water heating element45 in the tank 22, the bottom warmer 13 and the top warmers 16 and 17are indicated at 63, 64 and 65 in FIG. 1.

The operation of the brewer 5 will be readily understood since itgenerally parallels the operation of known cold water, pour-in typebeverage brewers. In putting brewer 5 into operation, sufficient coldwater is dumped into the basin 21 so as to completely fill the hot watertank 22. The fact that the tank is filled will be known when watercommences to siphon out through the side tube 42 and discharge throughthe spray head 44. When the hot water tank is thus filled, the heatingelement 45 may be energized and, thereafter, the warmers 13, 16 and 17likewise energized as needed. Once the cold water contents of the tank22 have had an opportunity to come to the desired elevated temperature,a filter with the proper amount of ground coffee may be placed in thebrewer funnel 10 and inserted into place on the underside of the top legportion 7 so as to be supported beneath the spray head 44 on thein-turned rails 11--11 mounted on the underside of the leg portion 7.

Assuming that a two-quart batch of coffee is to be brewed, a pitchercontaining two quarts of cold water is rapidly dumped into the basin 21through the opening 14. The cold water will immediately start to flowdownwardly through the cold water tube 38 at a fast enough rate so thatthe basin 21 will not overflow even with fast dumping of the two quartsof cold water through the opening 14. The entrance of the cold waterinto the bottom of the hot water tank 22 is at such a rate that it doesnot mix to a substantial extent with the hot water therein, but rather,the in-coming cold water displaces the hot water upwardly so that itcommences to flow out through the side tube 42. Once this flow hasstarted, it will continue due to the siphoning action until the waterlevel in the tank 22 drops below and exposes the bottom of the invertedsiphon cup 40. As is well-known, hot water sprays from the spray head 44onto the ground coffee in the brewing funnel 10 and the coffee beverageforms in the funnel and discharges through the bottom opening of thefunnel 10 into the carafe or beaker 12 setting on the warmer plate 13.

It will be seen that up to three batches or carafes of coffee may beprepared and maintained at one time on the brewer 5 by using the threewarmers 13, 16 and 17.

It will also be seen that the interior of the hot water tank 22 can bereadily reached for cleaning by simply removing the cover 46 and liftingthe cover together with the heater unit 15 from the upper leg portion 7.Since periodic cleaning or servicing of the interior of the heater tankis normally required, this ready access is a highly desirable feature.

The inverted L-shaped configuration of the combination cold water basin21 and deep hot water tank 22 allows the brewer 5 to have a relativelynarrow profile from left to right so that it takes up only a small spacefrom one side to the other on a counter top or table. Generally, counterspace is at a premium and often limited or restricted. Accordingly, thisnarrow configuration is highly desirable.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, an alternate means for clamping the hot water tanklid 36 is shown which may be used in place of, or in conjunction with,the hold-down legs 53 (FIGS. 2 and 5). This alternate means comprisesthree upstanding studs 63--63 welded to the floor 31 of the cold waterbasin around the depression 23 therein. Inverted U-shaped clamp membersfit loosely over the threaded ends of the studs 63 and nuts 65--65 areprovided for tightening down the clamps 64 on the top of the disc 36thereby compressing the ring gasket 35 to the desired degree. It will beseen that by loosening the nuts 65 the clamps 64 may be rotated orremoved so that the lid 36 may be lifted.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a cold water, pour-in beverage brewer,comprising: a generally C-shaped body providing upper and lower legportions interconnected by an upright leg portion; means for supportinga removable brewer funnel underneath the upper leg portion; heater meanson the lower leg portion for heating and supporting a beaker under saidbrewer funnel; a shallow cold water basin housed within said upper legportion; and a deep hot water tank housed mainly within said upright legportion; the improvement wherein said cold water basin and said hotwater tank are integral and constitute an inverted L-shaped receptacle,the bottom of said cold water basin having an opening that mates withthe opening at the top of said hot water tank, a plate closing off saidmating openings, said plate having a drain opening therein, and a coldwater tube depending from the underside of said plate with the upper endthereof in communication with said drain opening.
 2. In a cold water,pour-in beverage brewer, including: a generally C-shaped body providingupper and lower leg portions interconnected by an upright leg portion;means for supporting a removable brewer funnel underneath the upper legportion; heater means on the lower leg portion for heating andsupporting a beaker under said brewer funnel; an elongated shallow coldwater basin housed within said upper leg portion; and a deep hot watertank depending from said basin and housed mainly within said upright legportion; the improvements wherein said cold water basin and said hotwater tank constitute an integral inverted L-shaped receptacle, thebottom of said cold water basin having an opening that mates with theopening at the top of said hot water tank, a plate closing off saidmating openings, said plate having a drain opening therein, a cold watertube depending from the underside of said plate with the upper endthereof in communication with said drain opening; said upper leg portionhas a top opening and includes a removable cover therefor which alsocovers said basin, and said cold water basin has means on the top edgefor removably supporting said basin on the top edge of said top opening.3. In a cold water, pour-in beverage brewer, including: a generallyC-shaped body providing upper and lower leg portions interconnected byan upright leg portion; means for supporting a removable brewer funnelunderneath the upper leg portion; heater means on the lower leg portionfor heating and supporting a beaker under said brewer funnel; anelongated shallow cold water basin housed within said upper leg portion;and, a deep hot water tank depending from adjacent one end of said basinand housed mainly within said upright leg portion; said cold water basinand said hot water tank together constituting an integral invertedL-shaped receptacle, the bottom of said cold water basin having anopening that mates with the opening at the top of said hot water tank, aplate closing off said mating openings, said plate having a drainopening therein, a cold water tube depending from the underside of saidplate with the upper end thereof in communication with said drainopening; said upper leg portion including a removable cover over a topopening therein; a horizontal flange on at least a portion of the topedge of said top opening; said cold water basin including an out-turnedhorizontal flange on at least a portion of its top edge which restsflatwise on said first-mentioned horizontal flange on said upper legportion; and said cover having a cold water, pour-in opening and restingon said second-mentioned flange and covering said basin.
 4. The beveragebrewer called for in claim 3 wherein said first-mentioned horizontalflange is in-turned and at least substantially continuous, saidsecond-mentioned out-turned horizontal flange is substantiallycontinuous, and the horizontal outer margin of said removable coverrests flatwise on said second-mentioned horizontal flange, saidfirst-mentioned horizontal flange, said second-mentioned horizontalflange, and said horizontal outer margin forming a compact three-layersandwich and top seal, and removable fastener means for tightening saidsandwich and securing said seal.
 5. In the beverage brewer called for inclaim 3 an enclosed heater unit mounted on said removable cover andincluding at least one warmer for supporting and heating a beaker, saidremovable cover providing a barrier between each warmer and the interiorof said cold water basin.
 6. In a cold water, pour-in beverage brewer,including: a generally C-shaped body providing upper and lower legportions interconnected by an upright leg portion; means for supportinga removable brewer funnel underneath the upper leg portion; heater meanson the lower leg portion for heating and supporting a beaker under saidbrewer funnel; an elongated shallow cold water basin housed within saidupper leg portion; and, a deep hot water tank depending from adjacentone end of said basin and housed mainly within said upright leg portion;said cold water basin and said hot water tank together constituting anintegral inverted L-shaped receptacle; said upper leg portion includinga removable cover over a top opening therein; a horizontal flange on atleast a portion of the top edge of said top opening; said cold waterbasin including an out-turned horizontal flange on at least a portion ofits top edge which rests flatwise on said first-mentioned horizontalflange on said upper leg portion; said cover having a cold water,pour-in opening and resting on said second-mentioned flange and coveringsaid basin; and wherein the opening between said shallow cold waterbasin and said deep hot water tank is closed by a removable plate havingan aperture therein and a cold water tube communicating with saidaperture depends from said plate, the relative capacities of said basinand hot water tank and the sizes of said aperture and cold water tubebeing such that a volume of cold water equal to the brewing capacity ofsaid brewer may be instantaneously dumped into said basin withoutoverflowing.